


Synchrony

by CameoAppearance



Category: Town of Salem (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:31:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CameoAppearance/pseuds/CameoAppearance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Mafia knows he's a harmless townie, but when the Executioner makes it clear that he won't be satisfied until the Medium moves into the graveyard permanently, the Framer sees opportunity knocking. Everyone wins, except the Town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Synchrony

"I already investigated him. He's the Medium." The Consigliere frowns in confusion, eyebrows furrowed under the brim of her hat. "Did you frame him?"

The Framer shakes his head. "I've been framing that other guy for three days straight." 

The mobsters know better than to refer to their targets by name; they don't know yet whether there's a Spy, and so they can't be sure if an incautious word in the seeming privacy of their hideout will get all of them lynched. Better to be circumspect.

"Well, start." She stands up. "I'll get to the bottom of this. He's probably a Jester or an Executioner, unless the Transporter got in the way. But then again, maybe he's just an idiot. Can't tell this early."

The Framer picks up his counterfeiting tools, wondering why the Consigliere's insult stung when it wasn't even directed at him.

The next day, the man who accused the Medium is steadfast in his exhortations, eyes burning with hatred as he glares across the circle. No one else seems to be paying attention; the Transporter responds to every sentence with a skeptical 'sure', while the Investigator - the real one - rolls her eyes. The Framer slips into the conversation with a practiced lie. "As it happens, I'm the Sheriff, and I paid a visit to his house last night after you accused him. There was too much incriminating evidence for him not to be mafia."

"I must have been framed!" the Medium protests. "It's not my fault the dead have been quiet!"

"What if he's a Janitor?" the Framer offers. "Oldest trick in the book. They all know the Investigator won't look past 'spends a lot of time poking at dead bodies'."

"I know what I saw," the man in the long green coat insists. "He's Mafia."

"Why are you even listening to this guy?!" the Medium demands. "There isn't a Janitor! None of the dead have been cleaned!"

" _Yet,_ " the Framer cuts in. "Didn't you say you were roleblocked two nights ago?"

He's convinced a few people to vote on the Medium, but not enough to get him up to the stand, particularly since the Executioner's garnered a few votes as well. One of them is actually voting against the Framer instead, and he's not sure if it's out of suspicion or contrariness. The Investigator withdraws her vote against the Executioner, and speaks up. "I'll look into this tonight. I can't tell which of you is lying, but if the Sheriff turns up dead tomorrow, we'll know who to lynch."

As the sun sets and the townspeople head back to their homes, the Executioner gives the Framer a small, grateful smile. It's a nice change from his usual scowl. The Framer responds with a wink and a cheery wave.

"What if we just didn't attack anyone tonight?" the Framer says to the Godfather as he forges hit-lists in the Medium's handwriting. "Then I could say I'd been attacked and healed."

"They might assume you're night immune," the Consigliere points out. "By the way, I was right, he's an Executioner. If this works out he'll owe us a favour."

The Godfather looks pensive, eyebrows furrowed in composed contemplation. It's a few moments before he weighs in. "No, we can't afford to waste a night, and the Doctor hasn't left the Investigator's side since she found the Arsonist. It's too easy to poke holes in that story. Do what you were going to do, and so will I."

The Consigliere turns her attention to the person responsible for the stray vote against the Framer, and the Framer departs for the Medium's house.

In the morning, the Transporter is dead, as is the Doctor. Shot by the Mafia and stabbed by the Serial Killer, respectively, although the record the Transporter kept in his will indicates that it would have been the other way around had he not switched himself with her. 

The Investigator's expression is grim and irritable. "Okay, so I looked into that lead from yesterday. He's not a Medium, he's not even a Janitor. He's a Framer or a Forger; there's no legitimate reason for a Medium to have blank will paper and pages of fake signatures. My guess is that he just thought a Medium with no info would be a safe cover story."

"I told you so," the Executioner says. 

The Investigator ignores him. "We need to start lynching Mafia, and this is a pretty solid lead."

"That's exactly what would happen if I was framed!" the Medium shouts, into the unsympathetic crowd. "I can't believe you're falling for this!" 

"The Town Supports are dead," the Consigliere remarks. "Anyone else want to claim Random Town?" 

It doesn't take much to get the Medium up on the stand after that, and no one believes him when he reads from his will. The dead Escort, Amnesiac, and Arsonist apparently haven't had much to say, beyond insults and complaints of boredom. Most of the townspeople clearly don't find it convincing, and the combined guilty votes from the Mafia, the Executioner, and the townies they've fooled are enough to see the Executioner's target led up to the gallows. He watches enraptured as the Medium struggles against the rope and the life drains from his eyes.

When the coroner announces that the dead man was in fact a Medium and presents his last will, the townspeople are too shocked to notice the Executioner planting a kiss on the Framer. The Investigator argues with the Jailor and the Consigliere, filling the circle with noise as the two men embrace.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you," the Executioner whispers in the Framer's ear. "I'll do whatever you need. Just say the word."

"Let's start with keeping us alive and go from there," the Framer answers. "We're not out of trouble yet."

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, written for the [Town of Shipping thread](http://www.blankmediagames.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=20266) on the forums.
> 
> This fic probably has the most game mechanics per serving of any of the stuff I've written so far.


End file.
